Means for discharging granular products in wet treatment apparatus



May. 6, 1958 ,E, HARYENGT 2,833,414

mmroa 'DISCHARGING GRANULAR PRODUCTS IN WET TREATMENT APPARATUS FiledNov. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 X 3 it! i a a as ALL I ITEM].

INVE N 7 0R Edmozid Han/6W BY 2 7D mm W ATTORNEY May 6,, 1958 E.HARVENGT 2,833,414 I MEANs FOR DISCHARGING GRANULAR PRODUCTS IN WETTREATMENT APPARATUS Filed Nov. 4, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i p W ATTORNEYMEANS FOR DISCHARGING GRANULAR PROD-v UCTS IN WET TREATMENT APPARATUSEdmond Harvengt, Moustier-sur-Sambre, Belgium, assignorto Link-BeltCompany, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application November4, 1953, Serial No. 390,176

3 Claims. (Cl. 209-490) The invention relates to the discharge ofproducts in wet treatment apparatus or plants for ores, coals or othergranular materials.

In Belgian specification No. 455,896 dated May 20, 1944, forImprovements in means for, in washing plants for coals, ores and thelike, evacuating products, especially granular products, separatedtherefrom, it is proposed for evacuating such products from a gradedwashing bed by means of cones or similar apparatus, to have these conesprovided with a discharge opening of a largely suflicient size to allowfor the unhindered passage of the largest particles which may be presentin the products separated from the bed and to create at the dischargeopening of these cones a supported plug formed by a free heap ofevacuated materials which closes the discharge opening while thequantity of material corresponding to the desired discharge is removedor discharged from the plug.

By these means, the essential conditions for a satisfactory operation ofthe washing plants, that is for the full level operation thereof may befulfilled in order to avoid disarranging the Washing bed and to evacuatecorrectly particles of unusual shapes and sizes always encountered inthe slimy or muddy products separated from a graded bed.

The necessity of avoiding disturbances in a grading or separatingprocess and more generally in a wet treatment of granular materials isnot-limited to the above mentioned cases,'and the present inventioncontemplates other applications wherein, to this end, 'the' dischargemust be ensured by means of apparatus operating at full level;particularly the invention contemplates the extraction of the productsin concentrating pans.

Until now, the concentrates resulting from the treatment in pans havebeen either'collected in pockets from which they are removed ordischarged intermittently or evacuated by means of bucket elevators,partly immersed screws or drums, pocketed wheels or similar devices. Theintermittent removal or discharge from collecting pockets requires apermanent watching and in the bucket elevators or the evacuating devicescomprising a screw, a drum or a pocketed wheel, the wear due tothetreated materials on the parts or members is such that thisevacuating method proves expensive; moreover frequently the locationofthe plantsputs in an acute manner the; problem of the replacing of theworn out members or parts.

In this and the similar applications the invention remedy suchinconveniences in permitting the safe continuous evacuation of theproducts by means of a simple device thejmembers of"which'show littleliability to wear. out a'ndfmoreover' are easy and ,inexpensivetoreplace.' f

"Accordingtotheinvention,there is associated with the product outlet ofa treatment space or apparatus, particularly of a concentrating pan, ,agenerally vertical conduit, which may be of cylindrical, or conical orpart 2 v conical shape, and at a short distance below the botto end ofsaid conduit a support is so arranged that the products occupying theconduit rest thereon inthe' form of a heap bounded by their naturalslope, the support and the bottom end of the conduit, and thus closingthe latter.

Preferably the support is inclined and conveniently arranged so that itmay be placed under different inclinations; the conduit may be madeinone piece, but also of several sections adapted for sliding movementrelatively to each other as a telescopic device, in such an arrangementthat by modifying the length of the conduit, or by modifying theinclination or slope of the'support, or both, the bulk and the outlineof the heap formed by the products between the support and the bottomend of the conduit may be modified as desired.

The removal of the products from the said heap may be automaticallyobtained by a sliding movement on the support by imparing an appropriateinclination or slope to said support, or by having preferably at leastone erosion liquid current cooperating to said removal.

The appropriate adjustment of such a current permits predeterminedquantities of the products to be carried away from the heap.

Moreover, means may be provided for modifying auto matically the valueof the erosion current in accordance with the bulk of the heap of theproducts, in relation with the length given to thetelescopic conduit inaccordance with the desired evacuation.

Still other features of the invention will appear from the followingcomplementary description, with reference to the annexed drawings, ofcertain preferred arrangements given by way of examples only in theapplication of the invention to concentrating pans.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a concentrating pan of which the outletopening for the concentrates is arranged in accordance with theinvention;

r Fig. 2 'is an enlarged sectional view of the evacuating device of Fig.1; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a modified evacuating devicecomprising an automatically adjusted erosion current.

With reference to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 designates the vessel' of aconcentrating pan, which as diagrammatically indicated in Fig. l isprovided with a stirring device, comprising rakes rotating about thevessel axis, and with a peripheral outlet 2 for the concentrates and acentral outlet 3 for the tailings, it being assumed that the treatmenteffected is that of an ore.

With the outlet 2 isassociated a substantially vertical dischargeconduit 4 of a certain length, which in the exampleis of cylindricalcross section. This conduit 4 has amovable part 5', telescoping with thepart 4 and equipped with a device enabling its position and thus theoverall length of the assembly to be adjusted, the adjusting devicebeing for example of. the screw and sleeve in one'direction, atdiiferent'angles to the horizontal, and to this end for example pivotedon' a shaftsuch as 10 the angular. position of which may be adjusted asdesired and secured by means of a locking device, not illustrated -Theedge 7 of the bottom end of the part 5 is preferably made parallel toan"average adjustment position of the support 8.

' With a device as far as now described, the concentrates led to theoutlet 2 due to the operation of the pan,

accumulate in the conduit 4-5 and form on the support 8 a heap 11bounded by the edge 7, the support and the natural slope of the productsforming the said concentrates, the bulk of said heap being adjustable asdesired by a suitable. adjustment of the position of 'the part of theconduit 4-5. From this heap one may at will remove or carry awaypredetermined quantities of products in accordance with the desiredevacuation from the pan.

To this end, various meansmay be provided. One convenient means consistsin imparting to the support 8 such an inclination that the heap formingproducts are allowed to slide to the desired extent towards a trough orother guide 12 adapted to lead them to a settling or utilisationlocation. To this end this trough may be provided with an adjustablewater supply 13.

Preferably however, hydraulic means are used, adapted to ensure theproper erosion of the heap and for example comprising, as shown, acurrent of water directed by means of a pipe 14 and adjusted by means ofa valve 15. This means, which may be combined as desired with anappropriate inclination of the support 8,-may also, where desirable, becompleted or replaced by a water current flowing in the trough 9 andprovided by a water inlet 16 adjusted by means of a valve 17. Inaddition, an adjustable water inlet 18 may be associated with theconduit 4 -5 in order, amongst other things, to enable the consistencyof the products in the conduit and subsequently forming the heap 11 tobe adjusted.

Advantage is also taken from the current 18, to return back to the panthe light tailing and argillaceous particles appearing at the entranceof the conduit 4, and addi' tionally this current has the effect ofcreating a soft zone within the pan, near the entrance of the conduit 4,and in assisting the concentrates to enter said conduit.

It will be understood that as the erosion due to the current coming fromthe pipe 14, or the inlet.16, or both, proceed and carry away theproducts of the heap 11 towards thetrough or guide 12, the heap isreformed by the products descending the conduit 45 and simul-.

taneously entering same through the outlet 2 of the pan 1, so thatultimately a continuous and adjusted evacuation of the concentrates fromthe pan is ensured.

It is known that in ordinary pans and in order to limit the catching ofthe concentrates therein, the size of the discharge opening formed inthe bottom wall of the pan requires to be reduced with the result offrequent opportunities for the discharge opening of being obstructed forexample by some large piece having accidentally fallen into the pan.

The arrangement according to the invention enables the size of thedischarge opening of the pan to be increased without repercussion ordetrimental action on the discharge and/ or on the grade of theconcentrates.

In the preceding example, the adjustments of the valve (or 17) for theerosion water current, of the length of the telescopic conduit 4--5, andof the inclination of the support 8 are effected separately. In Fig. 3is shown how these various adjustments may be combined in order thattheymay beensured by a single operation.

According, to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 3, the linkage 19aformed of all the pivoted levers shown, is arranged to connect theoperating handle 21 of the valve 15 mounted in the pipe 14 to themovable part 5 of the conduit 45, in such a mannerthat when acting onthe handle 21 the position of the movable part 5 and the inclination ofthe support 8 are simultaneously modified. In this embodiment, the saidsupport is made integral for rotation with its pivoting shaft, and thelatter is made integral with the lever 22 which is connected through thelever 23 with the pivotal connection 24 of the operating handle 21 forthe valve 15.

When acting on either this handle or the lever 22 one may modify at thesame time the erosion current, the inclination of the support and theposition of the movable part 5 of the conduit 45, in such a manner thatto an increase of the erosion current corresponds an increase in theinclination of the support 8 and a rising move ment of the part 5 with aresulting increase in the bulk of the heap 11, and vice versa.

Naturally also, the evacuating devices described in relation withconcentrating pans may be used in other applications, Where the productsfrom a wet treatment taking place in whatever space have to bedischarged or evacuated therefrom with no or a minimum quantity only oftreatment liquid.

I claim: I

l. Evacuating device for the solid products of a Wet treatment of ores,coals and similar granular materials in an. independent unit comprisinga treatment vessel for containing a body of wetted fiowable solidproducts, outlet means for the products of the treatment in the vessel,means in the vessel for conveying the products of the treatment to theoutlet means, a substantially vertical conduit associated with theoutlet means, adjustable liquid supplying means intermediate the ends ofsaid substantially vertical conduit, and means for adjusting said liquidsupplying means, a bottom discharge opening for the substantiallyvertical conduit, a support for a free heap of products located at sucha distance underneath the said discharge opening that said heap forms aplug therefor to allow the accumulation of solid products inthe lowerportion of said vertical conduit, and means for carrying away from thesaid free heap quantities of products in predetermined relation with thedesired evacuation in the vessel of treatment.

2. Evacuating device for the products of a wet treatment of ores, coalsand similar granular materials in an independent unit comprising atreatment vessel, outlet means for the products of the treatment in thevessel, means in the vessel for conveying the products of the treatmentto the outlet means, a substantially vertical conduit associated withthe outlet means, said substantially vertical conduit comprising severalparts relatively movable lengthwise of the conduit and means foradjusting the positions of the relatively movable parts, whereby toadjust the overall length of the conduit, a bottom discharge opening forthe substantially vertical conduit, a slope adjustable inclined supportfor free heap of products at a distance underneath the said dischargeopening, means for carrying away from the said free heap quantities ofproducts in predetermined relation with the desired evacuation in thevessel of treatment, said last named means including driving means forsimultaneously adjusting the overall length of the conduit and the slopeof the support. g

3. Evacuating device as in claim 2 wherein the means for carrying awayfrom said free heap quantities of products in predetermined relationwith the desired evacuation in the vessel of treatment include hydraulicerosion means comprising liquid supply means and means to adjust saidliquid supply, and the driving means include connection means with thesaid liquid supply means, whereby to regulate at the same time thehydraulic erosion of the heap. V

References Cited in the file of this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS2,007,190 Fraser July 9, .1935. 2,513,960 Ore July 4, 1950 2,590,756Colin Mar. 25, 1952 2,624,461 Falconer Jan. 6, 1953

